The Sky's hope
by Rodger Dodger
Summary: He was taken from her so suddenly, she was found soon after and the Keyblade chose her, a girl, to help save her best friend. Old Friends reunite to help find a new one. Will Melody find the strength within herself to save Airin?
1. Chapters 1,2,3

❧❧ Chapter one ❧❧

In The Ruins of Twilight Town

Slipping...slowly...into the darkness...the plunge is not so far, but takes so long. I feel myself slowly sinking, like into quicksand. Cold, black, helpless, useless...

And now he is gone, he who I tried so hard to save, he who was the only one who believe in me

he who was the only one I ever called a real friend.

He has fallen beyond the darkness - and I am falling in.

❧

She sat alone, the night he was taken. It was after the fight and after the questions, and after the tears. The room was as black as the sky, there was no lamp to light the room as there was no moon to light the sky. The only light to anyone was the stars that stood high, crying over the town. It was a comfort to see the star, for earlier there was nothing but those dark, menacing purple and black clouds. The clouds that brought the evil.

Most everything was destroyed now, the only two building that remained were the restaurant and the library; the two building stood next to each other. All other things were gone, the buildings and the roads, the old mansion and the sand lot. The town was left in ruins, so sad of ruins that the eternal twilight the town was left in was now gone, the town was left in an eternal night, a moonless night, the land of crying stars.

Everything left was crying, and Melody was the only person left in the town, sitting the ruin of her secret place. Her and Airin came to it often when the burden of the world was so heavy that they needed an escape. They knew that when one wasn't home or working, this is where they could be found. Melody came now in vain, hoping to find her best friend here again, waiting for her, so that he may take the burden of the world from her and make her smile, just once more. But that would be impossible, she had watched him as he willing went with those 5 menacing people in the black coats.

They came for her, as they left the restaurant. The sun was still out then. Airin was first to spot them and he immediately threw himself in front of her, to protect his best friend. They simply outstretched their arms. Airin was first to realize what they wanted.

"No, leave her alone." He said, but they did not move and their arms remained open, waiting for her. "Take me instead. I can't let her suffer, I made a promise she would stay safe."

Melody did not understand anything he said after that, there were many names she did not recognize and many crazy ideas, like other worlds and the kingdom of hearts. She remained quiet until he took those 5 steps in front of them and let the hooded figure in the center take his arm. She screamed.

"Stay safe, Melody." He said to her as a purple cloud came and swept him away. "I find you again soon."

And that was the last time she saw her best friend.

And the last time anyone saw the sun in their town.

And the last time she saw any other person in the town.

Just an hour after the last purple cloud destroyed most of the other buildings, the people began to gather their things. Slowly, they began to leave in one very large and spacious mass. Mothers and fathers and sons and daughters began to walk out of the gates and into the dark dessert of their world. There was not much to bring with them, only few items survived those clouds. They had the clothes on their backs and were left homeless, without food, and without water. There was no point to stay here.

And when they began to walk, she began to run. She ran out of the town and made a left around the town wall, until she came across a small break in the wall. From their she ran strait for a while. Until she came to the edge of a forest. Written on the trees were the letters AM and next to them was an arrow, but she paid no attention to them, she knew exactly where their tree house was. But he was not there, and she feared he would never be there again.

And there she stays, alone and sad. There were tear stain down her tanned skin, her green eyes now red and irritated. Slowly, she stood and took slow and crooked path to the window and looked out and up. The stars seemed so low to the ground, too low to the ground to be real. She was alone now, keeping her promise to Airin by staying in the tree house and staying safe, and keeping loyal to her home but not leaving the town she loved so dearly.

The slowly she sank below the window, crying again for she now felt the magnitude of the things she lost today, and she could not stand to lose them. Then, even through her tears, she fell asleep and there under the starry window she slept.

❧❧ Chapter two ❧❧

In the secret tree house

Dreams can seem so real, when you fall asleep in tears. It seems as though we live in yesterday, when I dream.

Then I wake to find today, and find you gone, and find the ruin of the place we used to love.

And find the darkness closing in.

❧

"Follow me!" he shouted as he grabbed her arm.

"It's very hard to follow someone with a blind fold on, you know that, right?" she shouted back as he began to lead her.

"Of course I know that, that's why I have your hand." He said just as he moved his grip from her forearm to her hand. She blushed a little bit.

"Ok, Airin, where are you taking me?" She said while trying her hardest to keep up with him.

"You'll see, just make sure you keep up, it's not that far. And I've been working on it all summer, that why we didn't play much." He said all too quickly.

Melody used her spare hand to pull up the blind fold just a little bit and found herself just outside the town running along the north wall. Airin blond head was just ahead of her as he ran in front of her. She smiled and pulled the blindfold back down over her eyes. Airin knew just how much she loved surprises, and since there wasn't a day this summer they had spent together, this had better be the best surprise she had ever had.

Here, they were young, only about 13 years old. This is when the world was good, when the adults of the town were just starting to hire them for jobs, when the old mansion in the forest was still haunted, and when it seemed like Seipher would always be a big bully. They were pure then, with their original appearances. Airin's hair was still a very yellow blonde and his eyes a pure sky blue. Melody also had a very blonde head of hair on her head. His voice had just begun to change into the deep speaking voice of men, and Melody felt herself become more of a woman with each passing day. How treasured were their days of youth.

Suddenly they took a sharp left turn away from the wall. Again Melody lifted her blind fold for a minute to see where they were headed. The forest was ahead of them. That's when Airin turned around and she found herself pierced with his blazing blue eyes. "Don't cheat." he simply said and stopped running. He stood her still and tighten the blind fold. Melody wouldn't be able to lift it again.

"Now, let's go." He said and took off running again. She knew when they entered the forest. The heat of the sun was gone and the cool of the shadows fell upon her. Suddenly they stopped and Melody ran straight into Airin.

"Ok." he said and moved behind her to take the blind fold off. Once it was gone, it took a minute to adjust to the light, but only a minute. She soon found herself staring up at a tree house.

"You built this?" she said, a wide smile on both their faces.

"Yeah, took me all summer too. Let's go up!" he said and began to climb the rungs on the tree trunk. Melody followed him. The house was a perfect size for the two of them. There was room on the walls to hang pictures and posters, and room for a chair or two. There was a window on each side of the house the roof was so tall that a 40 year old man could stand and even jump inside.

"See, I figured that we would be using this house even when we are older so I made it real tall. And there is a window on each side so no matter where you sit you can look out the window. And look over there." He pointed to the west window. "I put our nick names there so that no one would take our house." And sure enough underneath the window, carved into the wood, was "Sweet Song's and Sky Boy's Tree house."

"I remember when we got these names. When we met in school. I said you spelled your name funny, and you said my name was just funny in general. Then you said it sounded like a song and I said your's reminded me of the sky." Melody said, running her fingers along the wood.

"Yeah, I never did forget that, it made me never want to spell my name in public again." he said and Melody laughed. He always knew how to make her laugh.

Then the world began to disappear around them and Airin began to fly into the sky. Melody reached out to catch him, but he was going to fast. "STAY SAFE!" he yelled to her.

Then Melody woke up.

❧❧ Chapter three ❧❧

In a dizzy state of mind

When does trusting a stranger seem like the right thing to do? When you have told me to do it. They know your name, and they know mine.

Does that make them strangers?

They say they know where you are - and now I trust them with my life.

❧

A dream - it was nothing more than a dream. She was 17 again, with brown hair now, and her once young and smiling face was aged, yet no longer tear stained. Her youth and her best friend were gone now, vanished within the dream. The tree house still stood, though, and under the west window their names were still carved. Fade with dust in the cracks, but still there.

The sky was still dark, the stars were still shining and there was still no sign of the moon, or the sun. It was amazing the air did not turn cold, or that the trees and flowers did not die due to the lack of sun, but all still stood and grew and thrived. It was as thought they now lived in eternal hope, an eternal feeling of euphoria. The flower surviving in the darkness almost made Melody smile.

Almost.

It did make her think. It made her remember something she was taught in school - about what a man named Ansem believed. "All things begin in Darkness." It said "But they find the light in all as they grow." The rest read. She was in darkness now, but she would eventually grow out of the darkness, she would soon find herself in the light again.

And that's when she felt it, something hard, smooth and warm in the palm of her had. She looked down to find an unusual sword. It was light weight, long, and had strangely shaped jagged edges along the far end. The handle was colored in light blue and gold, the blade coming out was gold at the bottom, slowly fading into silver as it neared the tip. She could only think one word as she look upon it. "Key Blade."

"Well, it's about time it found you." Said a voice, it was cheerful and pleasant to hear.

"Because that means we will find you." said another voice, this one more deep and dominant. Quickly she turned her head and found two boys enter the tree house. She immediately backed up again the west wall, holding the blade out in front of her. The first boy she saw must have been the cheery voice. He had a pleasent air about him, with radian white skin and natural brown hair and eyes. He was shorter compared to the next boy to come, who was tall and strong, with white hair and blue eyes.

Blue eyes like Airin's.

"STAY BACK!" She shouted and shook the blade in a menacing manner.

The two boys looked at each other and smiled, then both held their arms forward and a blade appeared in their outstretch hand. A blade similar to Melody's. Then they laughed.

"No, we are hear to take you to Airin. He called on us to come and collect you." Said the shorter one.

"How could he, he's been taken by those men in black coats." She said, her blade still at the ready position.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about Airin." Said the taller one, taking a step to her, his weapon lowered. "But he contacted me personally and told me to call you Sweet Song. Then you should trust us."

Sweet Song. The only person who knew that was Airin. But she still did not trust them entirely. Voluntarily, she lowly the blade and looked deep into his blue eyes. "Then what was his name?" She asked him.

"Sky Boy." He said and held out his hand to help her up. After a minute, she took his hand and stood at full height. "I'm Riku." He said and shook her hand, which was still in his.

"And I'm Sora." Said the other, busting in front of Riku and catching Melody's hand before it fell. "And what you have in your right hand is the Sky's Hope keyblade."

"Sora, you're moving too fast." Riku said. "See, you were chosen to fight with that "

"FIGHT?" Melody said and her heart skipped a beat. "I don't want to fight? I hate when people fight."

"Well, then I guess you don't really want your friend back." Sora said. "I hated to fight too, but I wanted my two best friend back so bad that I would have done anything for them, and I had to fight a lot."

"There are a lot of things we don't want to do for our friends, but we do it because they are our friends." Riku said and slowly took her right hand, holding up her Keyblade. "And this just proves you are willing to do anything.

"It's called the Sky's hope. And it's your's and your's alone. Sora has one called the Wishing Star. And Mine is the Dark Sun. They are for us, special for us, and they show what is in our hearts."

There was a moment of silence, the same kind of silence one hears after a great secret has been revealed. It was like spilling your heart to total strangers without exchanging any words. She knew something about them just by what they held in their hands, and in return they knew something about her.

"Well, I think we'll have more time to talk about the Key Blades later, now we need to get you onto our ship and off this world." Sora said, pulling his arms behind his head in a relaxed position. "My lady, if you'll come with us." He said and gestured to the hole in the wood.

Melody looked from one, then to the other. They knew her name, her nick name that only one other person knew, and they knew her hearts desire, her reason to go with them. She smiled and took a long jump down the hole, hitting the leaf covered ground below. The two followed shortly and lead her to a small green circle.

"Now, Sora will take us to the ship, but be careful. This is going to feel very strange." Riku gestured to Sora, who was standing in the center of the circle, and put his other hand on Melody's shoulder. Suddenly the whole world was stretching and turning dark, it was hard to breath. Melody lost all sense, she forgot her name, her family, her best friend. Until the world turned light and began to un-stretch itself and she found herself on the inside of a ship. A very strange and brightly colored ship.


	2. Chapters 4,5,6

❧❧ Chapter four ❧❧

In the cock pit of the Gumi Ship

They have taken me away from the place where I can stay safe. They told me I would be fighting, they told me about you, and about me.

How do they know so much?

They are taking me to a new world - a new world within my own mind.

❧

"Welcome Aboard the Gumi Ship!" Sora said, holding out his hands at his sides as to show the ship to Melody. "Now, we will be spending a lot of time in here so we best decide who gets what seat." he said and jumped into the center chair. Riku shook his head and took the seat on his right while Melody moved to the far left seat. "Splendid! Now, off to see the king." Sora finished and took the controls in his hands.

"Wait." Melody said, her voice in it's normal low and calm tone. "I thought we were off to find Airin." She leaned forward in the seat, addressing Sora, who turned to face her.

"We are, but the king will know where to start and I think he has something to give you too." He said and pushed the controls forward, the ship took off, Melody could feel the gravitational push on her seat as she was forced back. Riku was staring forward at the stars, giving Sora some driving pointers as they went. Slowly, Melody was lost in her thoughts.

Everything was happening so fast. Airin was gone and within hours of that she was on a space ship searching for him. What happened to the days when running around town was all the adventure they ever needed - and losing a toy marble was the only real tragedy of the day.

"Come on. We can find that marble!" Melody could still hear his voice in her head, when they were both 10 years old. "It couldn't have rolled that far."

"Oh yes it could have." Melody said. She was constantly contradicting him. "It could have gone as far as the forest and we're on the Sandlot!"

"No, my marble won't run that far, it would only go as far as it knows I am willing to look."

Melody was silent for a moment as she tried to understand Airin's logic. "Marbles don't have brains..." she whispered to herself.

"SHUT UP!" Airin said and took off running to the wall. He stopped just short and began to travel along to edges. "You go look down all the drains and see if it fell in the sewer." He said.

Melody gave a sarcastic salute and ran to the drain pipe. They spend the whole day looking, until the natural twilight was darker than normal and the sky turned a delicate purple. The marble was never found.

"I liked that one too." Airin said, kicking the loose sand at his feet. Melody walked next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. Airin smiled weakly and put his arm over hers and the began to walk back home.

Those were the good time.

"What are you thinking about?" Riku's voice took her out of her dream and she blushed a heavy red.

"Just thinking about Airin. Back when we were young." She said and turned to look at him. She wasn't sure why she blushed.

"Do you love him?" he asked and raised one eyebrow. It seemed almost like a joke of a question really. Ever since they were both old enough to hold a relationship with someone, people had been asking if they are dating or when the wedding was.

"No, well -" Melody hesitated for a moment and decided to tell these two young men the truth. "Yes, I do. But it's like a bother loves a sister, not a boyfriend loves a girlfriend. We have been best friends for so long that if we dated it would be too weird. I already know everything about him, why date him? To get to know him better? I already know everything about him."

"Oh really?" he asked in an un convinced manner.

"Yes - everything."

"Favorite Food"

"Ice Cream"

"Favorite Color"

"Orange"

"First Word"

"Gimme"

"Most embarrassing moment."

"At the Academic Pentathlon - when he accepted an award that wasn't for him."

"Ok" he said slowly, leaning back in his chair and raising his hand to his chin. " you're good, but as soon as we find him I will be asking him the same questions to see if the answers match up."

"You do that." She said and turned back to the window. Riku seemed very nosey.

❧❧ Chapter five ❧❧

In the Castel of the King

I am chosen

And they thought it would be you

And Now I will save you

I Will Save You Again...

❧

Soon after her small talk with Riku Melody fell asleep. And it was a sleep like no other. For the first time in two days she felt it was truly safe to sleep. She knew Airin would not return to her while on the Gumi ship, and she knew these two boys were only here to help her and she trusted them while she slept. And her sleep was dreamless, nothing but a long black cloud while she patiently waited for the next day to begin.

And it begun in a new place. The place was colorful, full of things to sting you eyes upon their first look. There was many things of white and blue marble and reds and greens and yellows all over the place. She woke in a soft bed in a room colored orange and pink. The walls were yellow and the furniture that was spread throughout the room was all the purest of white. She quickly sat up and began to look around the room.

"Where am I?" She questioned to herself. "This certainly isn't the space ship."

"Gumi ship, and you sure to catch on quick." Came a friendly voice from her left. Sora was sitting on the white sofa underneath a window. He smiled when she looked over to him, and he put away the marble he had been tossing in the air. Melody gracefully pulled the blankets off her and sat in the bed, wondering what he was doing there. She raised and eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"I know what you're thinking, and they asked me to watch other you. After all, you never did wake up when the Gumi Ship landed and when Riku carried you into the room, and when he hit your head on the door by mistake, so we thought someone was wrong, but you seem fine now."

"And when did all this happen?"

"Just a few hours ago. Don't worry, we didn't kill you." he said and threw her some new clothes. "These are courtesy of the King and Queen. And it looks like they're gonna fit. So go a head, put them on."

Melody looked at the clothes, then to Sora who never moved.

"Oh, sorry." he said and quickly ran for the door.

Slowly she stood and set the clothes down on the bed and she took a long, deep breath. There was something different about the air here, it was fresh and crisp in a sense. On the other side of the bed were two large glass doors. Melody took a few steps to them and opened them, letting the bright sun shine into the pink and orange room. The Room came alive, lighting up every corner making all the colors seem more vibrant. She smiled and grabbed the clothes Sora threw to her, walking into the bathroom to change.

The Outfit suited her well. There was a skirt, a light blue color, that hit the bottom at an angle. The skirt had no precise pattern to it, on some parts there was a plaid, on others there were small butterflies or floral. The Shirt to go was black, with a white hooded vest to wear over the top. She smiled and looked at herself in the large mirror in the room. She smiled and after a few more poses decided it was time to venture out into the new land and see exactly what this King had to say.

She opened the door and Sora was waiting just outside.

"Perfect fit." he said and looked down at the skirt. "You know, I made that." He said with a large smile.

"Really?" Melody said, looking at it again. The patterns made perfect sense.

"Yeah! My friend Kairi is teaching me how to sew so that when my clothes break I can fix them." he offered her his arm, so that he may lead her down the hall.

"You mean rip. Clothes don't break." She said taking him arm and following him down the large white hall.

"No, Break. My clothes are special, and so are yours. You'll see what I mean later." he said and made a quick left turn to go down another hall.

"I guess I will just have to wait." she said and was slightly disappointed. "You can really help me find Airin, right?" Melody could not help herself, she had to ask again.

"If the King says so. The King has the final say in everything."

"And where is the king." She asked just as Sora opened the door to their right.

"Right in here." Came a voice from the figure at the desk.

The Figure certainly wasn't human, it had too large of ears to be human. And from behind the chair, Melody could swear she saw a tail. When he pulled his head up, Melody saw the figure greatly resembled a mouse, a rather large mouse. The Mouse smiled and jumped out of the chair, walking with an extended hand to shake.

"Welcome Melody, I am King Mickey." He said in the most cheery voice while taking her hand.

"It's a Pleasure." she said as their hand broke apart.

"Please, come sit. RIKU! SHE'S HERE!" The king shouted. Melody didn't realize they were in a large Library. Riku was near the top of the room, reading a large blue book. Quickly he jumped to the ladder, slid down and landed just behind the desk.

"What were you reading?" Sora asked him.

"You'll find out in a minute."

"Oh, of course. Riku already knows _Everything!_" Sora said sarcastically

"Of Course!" Riku happily, making Melody laugh at their small fight.

Sora and Melody took the two seats across from the King, who sat behind his desk. Riku moved and let himself lean against Sora's large red chair.

"Now, Melody, I am sure you are wondering why they took Airin." the king said. After hearing this, Melody was wondering if everyone in this town could read minds.

"Yes, it's all I've have been thinking about lately." she answered back.

"Well, the answer is very simple, but I know you won't believe what I have to say at first, so I need you to keep an open mind and an open heart." He said and gave a heavy sigh.

"You see, I am sure you have wondered why you and Airin have such a strong connection with one and other. You two seem to understand everything about each other, and can always make each other laugh and smile and know just how to comfort the other. That is because you were destined to be together. He is the prince of Twilight Town, now it's call The Land of Crying Stars, and you are the Princess. I know it's strange to hear, but it's the truth."

Melody took a deep breath again and grabbed the arms of the chair rather tightly. Princess? Prince? It seemed so odd. She didn't feel like a princess, she only felt like a girl who lost her best friend. But why take him, why take a prince and not a princess?

"You Majesty, why did they take him then? Why not take the princess?" She asked and leaned forward in her seat, anxiously awaiting the answer.

Mickey sighed and shook his head as though he was dreading this part of the conversation. "Hold out your hand." He simply said and she did. The Key Blade appeared. "That is why.

"They knew you would be the one to yield it. The remaining members didn't want to loose the princess who has the key blade. What the Members did was take the prince as bait, hoping you would come to save him, and while there they would take you and put you in a confinement where you couldn't use your Key Blade. It's their way of capturing the last princess."

"WAIT!"

"THE LAST -"

Riku and Sora suddenly jumped out of their seats and looked at the king.

"Yes, the princesses of heart are disappearing again. But don't worry, Kairi is safe, since the newest Princess of Heart is Miss Melody here."

"But we defeated the villains, and - " Sora said, but Mickey cut him short.

"Organization 13 is at work again. Or should I say, Organization 5."

The Three of them began to stare at the king. Melody was so lost, she didn't know anything about any organization, but she thought this was not the best time to ask questions. Sora and Riku looked very scared.

"Back before we were involved with Organization, they had a bunch of problems. Remember that we only encountered 6 of them. Roxas was you, Sora, and Axel gave his life for us. That ment there was five we did not encounter. A few years ago those five rebelled and tried to take over the organization, but they were caught and 'killed' for it. Well, they didn't actually die. They live on, and have devoted their life to finding their hearts so they took the princesses to open Kingdom Hearts. So you see why they need Melody and Why they don't have her yet.

"But I will tell you that the strangest phenomenon is that Melody is the one with the Keyblade. Melody, we had earlier assumed it would be Airin with the Keyblade, but we were proven very wrong when he contacted us and said it was you."

Melody's eyes shot wide open. "He talked to you?" she almost yelled.

"Well, yes. He has - OPE!" The king suddenly covered his mouth and shook his head. "You're not supposed to know this yet."

"Yet. So I will know it." She asked with her eye brow raised again.

"In time." He said and stood.

"Now, I need to see you off in the morning." The king said and began t walk to the door. "I will give you the map. You must go to the places in this order because that is the fastest way to where they are now. So, Goodnight to you all." He said and left the three of them with too many thoughts to handle. They stayed in silence for only a moment before heading to their bedrooms again.

❧❧ Chapter Six ❧❧

In a new Century

And here we are.

And So we Begin.

And Now I can Say I am on my way

On My Way

Not Alone

I'll Be there soon...

❧

"I know all about it. There are secret between you and me, Melody. You've loved him your whole life. But your love is much deeper than when a princess loves a prince. You love your brother. You love him with all your heart and never want harm to come to him. That's why you have the keyblade, that's why it chose you to find him and save him, and save the world.

"And I don't think you really know the power that's dwelling inside you."

Those were the King's last words to her. He knew the whole story. Airin was like a brother, and she did love him. And she would do anything for him. And that's why she is here now. But there is no more power inside her. She barely had power in her to begin with. Airin was the strength for that power. Now he is gone and she will have no strength to get though this.

"Just Flex. That usually scared people away." She could still hear his voice saying this over and over again in her head. He would put his skinny white arm up to cover half his face, then he would daringly flex the little muscle he had there. It wasn't his arm that scared her, it was the anger in his 15 year old eyes.

Slowly, Melody lifted her arm and tried to flex, but it was useless, she laughed so hard that she could barely hold her arm up. Airin came over and held her arm, giving her useless pointers about how to scare off the creeps that would constantly ask her out.

"I always said you were pretty. Told you that this would happen one day." He said, taking a seat on a crate outside the restaurant they worked at while Melody continued to flex her arm.

"What do you mean?" She asked, giving him that loathsome look she was practicing. "You were always telling me I was gross and yucky and you wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole."

"In boy-language that means you're lovely." He said and clasped his hand together to one side, and with a dreamy look he looked to the sky.

Melody needed to get him back and soon.

The world was so empty and lonely, even with Riku and Sora siting with her in the room. These two boys were such good people. Honest and good, and a mix of her lost friend. Sora was fun and goofy, yet so strong and with a tremendous will to go forward. Riku was supportive and strong, always there to make her think and to challenge her to do even better. She had only known them for four days now and while at the castle and on the ship she had participated in twelve races with Sora, five verbal battles with Riku and eleven motivation speeches from either one of them.

But the good times in the space ship were about to come to and end. There was a planet ahead.

"There it is. That must be Paris!" Sora exclaimed and pointed in front of him.

The planet was so strange that Melody could hardly believe it's real, but she had seen so many odd things on her voyage that she could believe anything now. There were building that could be seen from space, the clouds slowly circling around then.

"Now we just need to find some parking..." Sora said trailing off a bit. Suddenly, Melody felt that sensation of leaving the ship and moving onto the small green circle. After a moment to adjust herself again, she looked around to see where they were. It appeared to be a grave yard.


End file.
